Boy of Borealis
by Ladelle
Summary: Kyuubi's out to save his own hide and manages to do the one thing no one would have ever deemed possible. Now, with all 9 demons stuck inside him, Naruto must survive a game of cat & mouse with shinobi and demons alike. Bonds reforged, let the chase begin
1. Chapter 1

**Boy of Borealis**

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**Author's Note:** I'm really excited for this one. Powerful Naruto, witty banter, adventure...what more could an author hope to write? 

**Warnings:** I have decided. This will be a friendship story between Sasuke and Naruto, nothing more. Sorry to disappoint my yaoi fans out there, but this story will most likely have no pairings or very light SakuNaru. There are stories that call for plot, and this is one.

I accept all reviews, especially if they're constructive. Make me better, please.

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**Prologue**

ooooOOOOOoooo

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It hurt. 

Like a thousand knives were slicing him apart from the inside, twisting and gnawing against his pulsing organs. His stomach split and he buckled violently, squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that a thick liquid began to ooze from the corners.

Blood.

He could taste it in his mouth, the thick and coppery liquor bubbling from his throat, muffling his sounds of distress. His toes were curling so tightly that he thought they might snap off, and his nails bit holes into the flesh of his palms as he clenched them shut. He gargled through a fit of bile that rose to his mouth and convulsed against the deafening howl of wind that kept him suspended mid air.

_Breathe._

His lungs throbbed against his ribs and he struggled to inhale; he choked down the blood and saliva that had formed at the base of his throat. Gasping for oxygen, the panic of suffocation was beginning to overwhelm him. His eyes went wide and he gagged, wheezing in an effort to fill his lungs.

He was drowning in his own spit and blood.

A rush of wind hammered into his frame and he twisted to the side, a sickening snap indicating that his right wrist had just dislocated from his arm. The pressure was too much.

The pain was unbearable.

The beat of his heart throbbed against his temples and he cracked open an eye, a blurry mess of red and white obstructing the view of his mangled body. But he could see it. It was pitch black. But he could see it.

The hole where his stomach used to be. Now only blood was crawling upwards, swirling away with the violent fixation of power and wind that bound him in place. His skin was shredded. Severed and tattered. He felt nauseous.

_So this is what it feels like…_

He closed his eye and gave up on his struggle for breath. It hurt. It was impossible.

He was suffocating.

A numb sensation overwrought him and the aching agony of death began to fade. He felt blackness coming. Overwhelming him like a blanket. He reached for it.

_So close…_

'Don't you dare die, brat.'

The voice was deep and struck several chords in his consciousness. The darkness was no longer rushing towards him. He reached out, chasing it with outstretched fingers. He wanted it. Needed it.

It was—

A new pain seared through him, sending spikes of insufferable spasms through him, waking the numbness that had claimed him. His veins burned like his blood was boiling within them, though he knew subconsciously that he had no blood left. It had _left_ him. All that was left was what made him a fighter.

What made him a ninja.

'Chakra.'

The voice was thinking. Naruto howled as he felt his veins begin to tear, repeating the same abominable intensity he had experienced moments earlier with his skin. He felt like he was separating from himself. Soul from body.

Body from aching soul.

_So this is what it feels like…_

Other voices entered his mind. Conversations. Other beasts growling in thick vocal reverberations. The blackness was returning. Rushing at him as the stinging sensation faded. As he separated from himself.

'Weakling. You will not save him, now.'

His mind pulsed.

_Save who…?_

'Your brother.'

_Oh._

The blackness came and overtook him. Death was inevitable. There was no turning back.

_So this is what it feels like…_

'Don't underestimate me.'

…_to be separated from the nine-tailed fox._

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**A/N-->** FYI, I only have a couple chapters of this written so it will be weekly updates until I plow ahead. Chapters will be much longer, 6-10 pages as usual for me, and I will most likely update all my stories on Sunday. 

Suggestions on pairings taken, but really, I have no idea. Let me write some more and then I'll let you know.

Hope you enjoyed!


	2. The Demon King's Deal

**Bob**

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**Author:** Ladelle

**Rating:** M

**Comments:** And so it begins!

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**Boy of Borealis**

Chapter One

_No one would have ever known_

_That inside the little boy had grown_

_A dangerous game—a bloody feast_

_Caused in part by a bloody beast_

_Crawling, breathing, it waits in me_

_To lead this boy to victory_

ooooOOOOOoooo

Sakura ducked beneath the hedge, clutching the hilt of her kunai blade tight in her fist. Her eyes were narrow and her stance was unyielding as she vaulted from branch to branch, cursing under her breath.

He had to be alive.

The breeze was hot and lashed out across her skin as she dodged through the clearing, using every ounce of energy to keep pace with her group leader who was nearly ten feet in front of her. His mechanical movements told her that the situation was dire. That they were quickly losing time. She pummeled forward.

From beside her Sai shot ahead, his expression unusually grim. His hands were twitching nervously, and his eyes were narrower than usual. Sakura bit her lip.

"When is team 10 going to arrive?" She asked, her voice low and firm. From ahead of her, Kakashi lowered his head. He mumbled something, and Sakura rushed forward in an attempt to match his pace.

"What?"

He turned his head and growled.

"Not soon enough."

Sakura's disposition weakened. Her stomach twisted and she felt sick. No matter how much distance that closed, the Hidden Rain Village did not seem any closer. For Christ's sake—they hadn't even encountered one single bout of mist.

She blinked back a premature round of tears.

He _had_ to be alive.

There was no alternative.

He would survive.

He would wait it out.

He would deal with the pain—he would fight the process. He would remember Sasuke, he would remember his friends. He would remember his dream to become the Hokage and his rivalry with Gaara.

He would grin his stupid grin and she would reprimand him for all the trouble he caused, just like always.

Kakashi held up a hand and Sakura drew a ball of chakra to her feet, pulling herself to a halt on a narrow branch. She thrust out her arms to retain her balance and saw Sai land beside her, crouching low against the crusted oak. He looked serious, and Sakura breathed in deep, trying to suppress the anxiety that was eating away her calm.

"Do you feel it?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura shifted and tilted her head up, taking in their surroundings.

Calm.

The trees hummed as a misty breeze sifted past, secreting droplets of moisture on her skin. No birds, no animals. No feelings…at all.

"I don't sense anything." Sai said, his voice dangerously dismal. Kakashi nodded, his features screwed up with haste and worry. Sakura had never seen him so bothered. But Naruto had that effect on people.

He made them care.

Before Sakura could comment, Sai almost whispered. "It's done."

And Sakura felt it. An emptiness. A void.

There was no more Naruto.

"Please—we need to get to him." Her voice was oddly calm, even though her stomach had crumbled at her partner's words. Her arms were shaky and her knees felt weak, but she pushed forward off of the branch, dodging past Kakashi with a forced willpower. She felt the two ninja copy her movements, trailing her with an equal intensity. None of them wanted to see…

But at the same time, they had to.

They had to confirm it. Confirm that he was dead.

The report required it.

Sakura choked back a gag as tears drowned her vision. She was supposed to be stronger than this. She had trained herself to be. So why couldn't she focus?

Naruto.

The name was like a curse. It echoed in her head, repeating over and over and over until it drowned out everything else. They were finally growing closer—she could see it now.

The Akatsuki cavern.

From behind her, Kakashi let out a rushed growl of urgency.

"Sakura! Be careful—the Akatsuki—"

But she went forward blindly, zipping through the trees like a practiced animal, her unfocused aura snapping the branches beneath her. As she found the crumbling entrance to the cave, she drew herself to a stop, panting hard.

Sai side longed her, landing in front of her with placid eyes. He glared at her and stood tall, turning to Kakashi as he jogged to meet up with them.

"I don't feel anything." He repeated from earlier. His voice was filled with a low intensity.

Sakura breathed. She didn't either.

"Let's go." Kakashi drifted forward and Sakura, against her will, spoke out.

"Should we? Or should we wait for Team 10?"

"You want to wait?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura shook her head. No, she didn't.

Kakashi paced forward and Sai glanced at Sakura, giving her an opportunity to go second.

They all sifted into the dwelling, careful and on guard. The kunai blade in Sakura's hand was becoming slippery with her sweat and she felt a cool breeze feather the drying tears on her cheeks. From behind her, Sai breathed in deeply.

The entrance was long and narrow—a rocky tunnel with roots of all sorts clinging to the walls, and a solid tread path beneath their feet. Small lanterns lit the way, though most of them had lost their integrity, leaving only small swells of searing wax dripping to the gravel floor.

When the clearing became too difficult to see Sakura focused a small amount of chakra into her ears, focusing on the hushed footsteps of Kakashi. A small breeze swept up through the air and she peered forward, attempting to make out her surroundings in the pitch black cave.

They turned a corner and it hit her like a wave. A stench. A rotten and degrading smell that clawed its way up her nose and into her sinuses, causing her eyes to water and her throat to constrict. It wasn't indefinable—she knew exactly what the smell was.

Death.

Burning flesh and decaying matter mixed with chakra and something else she didn't recognize. Putrid odors of sweat and body fluids blanketed the entryway to the main room, where a few lanterns still burned in trepidation. A giant stone statue was barely visible in the weak light, crumbled and dismantled, a mess of wires and stone.

Kakashi halted in front of Sakura, bringing his hands to his face in a disgusted motion, and from behind her, Sai was strangely silent. Sakura stepped forward and lowered her kunai, her mouth parting in shock.

The room was completely desecrated.

Bodies were scattered on the floor like rag dolls, either dismembered or horribly bent out of shape. Sakura cringed. For the most part, the figures were unidentifiable.

"What did they do to you, Naruto?" She asked no one in particular, but as soon as the familiar name left her lips, she dodged forward, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk. She searched the dimly lit room for some sign of her childhood friend—for some hint of his bright blonde hair or even the sound of his voice.

She turned to her partners as her search revealed nothing.

"Where is he?" She asked, and Kakashi, who had revealed his sharingan, frowned. From beside him, Sai spoke.

"He's gone."

Sakura felt her heart stumble over a beat, buts he fought off the emotion.

"There's no sign of him, though. Where's the body?"

Kakashi glanced around the room, his reddened eye flickering in the scarce light.

"Sai's right. He's not here."

There was a pregnant pause and Sakura drifted back towards her teammates, her expression mixed with anger and disappointment. She stood tall next to Sai and narrowed her eyes.

"Is he dead?" Her vision flickered to Kakashi who looked vaguely confused by the situation. After a moment, his eyes lowered and he nodded, his hands falling limp at his sides.

"There's nothing…nothing left of him here." He said softly, and Sakura felt tears run blindly from her eyes. She could feel her brain wracking against her skull, searching the knowledge she had stored away in her head for a reason—for an alternative. There was no way Naruto Uzumaki could be dead—and without a body, there was no way for her to believe it.

The sound of running shoes against loose gravel caught the trio's ears and they glanced down the hallways they had come from. Team 10 had arrived.

"We should report this to Tsunade." Kakashi said quickly, his voice gathering its strength. Sai gave Sakura an abandoned expression, obviously feeling a pain similar to her own.

Fine, she thought absently, we'll report it.

As she watched Kakashi fill in the newest arrivals her face soured. One thing was for sure though—she was going to find Sasuke. She was going to pay that bastard back for not coming when Naruto needed him most, even if it took them both to hell.

* * *

There was a funny taste in his mouth. Like ramen that had been sitting out to long—dirty even. He groaned as he made an attempt to lick his lips—to relieve himself of the awful thickness that was settling on his tongue and making his nostrils flare in disgust. To his surprise, the movement sent a gush of liquid into his mouth and he coughed hard as he nearly choked. 

His eyes flickered open. It took a great deal of effort. He felt as though gravity had been yanking him into the ground, weighing on him like Chouji in his most formidable state, and in his vacant state of consciousness, he couldn't will his arms or legs to move.

"Ngh…" He gurgled into the liquid. It smelled dirty and polluted. Was he in a river?

Naruto couldn't remember. His last memories consisted of sprinting towards an enemy in the lush recesses of a forest—certainly not the dark and dank cavern he existed in now. His eyes widened slightly—had he been caught? Was this the Akatsuki lair?

He breathed through his nose in an effort not to drown in the watery mess he was collapsed in and listened carefully.

_Drip. Drip._

Except for the gentle popping of water drops on rocks, he heard nothing. With no easy effort he attempted to gather his chakra into his left arm, hoping to push himself onto his back. His eyes widened when he realized he had no chakra to give.

"What…" He breathed hard again and focused on the innermost parts of his body, searching for the familiar well of energy he had so often called on before. But the familiar tickle of excess power felt at a distance—no, more as if it had completely disappeared.

And that's when he heard it—the whispering.

He turned his head as far as he could to the side, ignoring the sharp pain that invaded his collar bone. He let his eyes scan the surrounding area, searching for the source of the voices he was hearing.

He saw nothing—he heard nothing. The cavern was pitch black and unless the voices were ghosts, they couldn't have existed. No shuffle of footsteps sounded in the distance, not even the gentle crackle of a stealthy ninja entered Naruto's sensitive ears.

He felt his heartbeat quicken. Was he…dead? Gone to hell with the fox—meant to spend all of eternity bound for its sins? He sank further into the realm of his own consciousness, searching for the cage. He called out mentally, demanding for the fox to show himself—to help him.

"Alright, you damn fox. Where are you?" His inner voice was much stronger that his material one, and he eyed the large sealing gates with a nervous contempt. The whispering grew quiet for a moment, before a seething voice whispered, "Is that him?"

Naruto stepped backwards, not recognizing the snake-like voice. It tickled his nerves and sent a rush of fear through him. He glanced around, searching for the mouth that had spoken.

"He's so small…" Another voice said—this one sounding more feminine. It was cold and callous still, and Naruto's head spun towards it, only to see darkness.

"I want to eat him!" A voice boomed and Naruto nearly tripped backwards when a giant clawed fin pounded against the gate, revealing a giant creature Naruto could only place as a toothy fish. Its silhouette gave away its form, but Naruto could only see the glossy shimmering of pale white teeth and beady eyes from beyond the darkness of the gate.

In response to the snarls that were peeling from the creature, an even more masculine voice spoke, a voice Naruto was almost grateful to hear.

"Do not touch him, Fuka-shi." Naruto scrambled up off of the mental flooring and searched for the familiar voice of Kyuubi. He did not have to wait long before the creature emerged from the darkness, its hollow orange eyes much more irate than usual.

The other creature seemed to sink backwards, allowing the nine-tailed demon forward, and Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"What's happening?" He asked, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice. Kyuubi let out a long growl and pushed his nose out between the gate, an effort to show his words had great importance. After a moment, he spoke, his voice releasing in low tremors.

"Do you not remember?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and searched his mind. Remember what? He obviously didn't, since he was so confused. He shook his head and clenched his fists.

"What did you do?"

The nine-tailed fox looked vaguely disturbed before it sank back into the cage, disappearing into the darkness. Naruto growled.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!"

There was a low rush of whispers referring to Naruto's demanding tone, and from the distance the Kyuubi's voice boomed.

"He's here."

Naruto felt a stinging pain shoot through his stomach and within moments his eyes—his real eyes—flew open. Tears poured from them and he rolled over onto his back, coughing up whatever water had remained in his mouth. He had been pulled back into consciousness, and he groaned loudly, wondering who could have ripped him so violently from his position in front of the gate. He looked above him, and his eyes widened.

It was a woman—or at least a very good looking man. He had learned from Haku not to judge a book by its cover, and the figure above him looked like an icy shadow in a black fog.

Long white hair cascaded down its shoulders and bright blue eyes pierced straight through Naruto's being, and a long half-opened robes revealed skin even paler than Sasuke's.

"Uzumaki Naruto." It was funny, because the figure's lips didn't even move. And while the voice sounded human enough, it struck chords that Naruto's ears found offensive and he grimaced as he stifled a nod.

"You have caused me much grief." The figure spoke again, and Naruto felt his head start to hurt as the voice began to fill it. It was surrounded by high pitched squeals and low hums that Naruto would never think possible. He tried to shift but realized he was still immobile. The figure paced around him, it's movement's fluid.

"To think you are still alive, even now." It was thinking to itself, and Naruto breathed deeply.

"Even now—when you have all nine demons trapped in your miserable human body."

Naruto's eyes widened and he stuttered against his own will. "Wh—what?"

The figure glanced down, as if it had forgotten Naruto could speak. It smiled, an eerie smile, and reached down a hand to touch Naruto's stomach.

"I will relieve some of your burden, for the moment." The figure's hand brushed across Naruto's stomach and it was at this moment that Naruto realized that he was completely naked. He blushed out of nature, but in all honesty, was too confused to care. His seal stung at the touch and the piercing pain soon ebbed into a gentle discomfort, one that allowed him to finally find the energy to sit up. The figure knelt next to him and tilted its head—too far to be human.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The creature licked its lips, and Naruto was surprised when a forked tongue emerged from pale lips. He felt his face sour.

"Your language would call me the devil, young human. I would have you killed, if it weren't for the convicts you protect."

Naruto grimaced as the figure ran a soft finger over his stomach, tracing the seal. He looked fascinated and angry all at once.

"It is amazing—a seal that not even I can break."

Naruto's mind was going fast; he didn't understand anything. He took the hand off his stomach and glared at the figure.

"What do you mean, convicts?" He questioned.

The figure stood, an expression of boredom passing its face.

"That's the problem with you humans. You always assume everything happens naturally." He paused and glared at Naruto, an action that made Naruto feel sick to his stomach. Whoever the figure was, it had an immense amount of power—where a simple look could injure.

"I'm sure you just assumed the tailed demons arrived on earth and you just assumed you could seal them." He glared at Naruto again and then growled—an awful sound that made Naruto's ears tempt blood.

"They're my demons! They belong in my prison! Not only did they escape…but they sought to hide inside you pitiful humans. At least now, they're only in one."

The end of the demon's statement seemed to be less coarse, and Naruto tried to organize his thoughts. He had all of the demons inside of him—how, he didn't remember. They had apparently escaped demon hell—and this guy wanted them back. He glared.

"Take them back, then." Naruto said firmly. "My world doesn't want them."

The creature looked at him and laughed heartily, its voice thick and pompous. It knelt down again in another ghostly movement.

"I'll make a deal with you, young Naruto."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What kind of deal?"

The creature swallowed and let silver hair fall in clumps over its face.

"I can't take them from you here…but I can definitely reclaim them in your world. That is, by killing you."

Naruto's eyes widened and he felt his stomach almost tear from the inside. The demons were upset, pushing against his seal, fighting against the stranger's words.

"A game, it will be. Cat and mouse. I will give you two weeks to protect yourself…but then, the hunt begins."

Naruto felt his eyes widen as the figure placed its palm on his head. It smiled, and Naruto frowned.

"I'll be seeing you around." And as soon as Naruto could blink everything went black.

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A/N--> Believe it or not, this story is going to be really funny. Just wait until the next chapter, haha. You'll see. 

Thank you for all of your reviews!


	3. The Monsters Within

**BoB**

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**Author:** Ladelle

**Beta:** Allys

**Rating:** M

**Comments:** Yay for updates!

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**Boy of Borealis**

ooooOOOOoooo

"Man, oh man…" Naruto paced back and forth, rubbing the skin of his temples sore. His mind was racing and his palms were beginning to sweat, the gravity of his situation beginning to weigh on his conscious.

"You need to calm down."

Naruto immediately pinned the voice as Kyuubi's and he bit his lip, his breathing beginning to hasten. He had a headache and his feet hurt, and on a desperate note, he had been wandering through an unfamiliar forest for nearly a half-hour in nothing but his birthday suit. Not to mention he had demons after him—and not just normal demons, demons strong enough to defeat the tailed demons within him.

Naruto laughed wildly and stumbled through the forest clearing, his eyes darting around the woodland scene with a look of denial. After a moment he paused and took a deep breath.

"This can't be happening," he said firmly.

He paused and leaned against a tree in an attempt to convince himself that he was hallucinating. After all, he wasn't crazy and only crazy people ranted about demons being stuck inside of them.

"Right," he reassured himself and he took a long, deep meditative breath.

He focused on the gentle sweep of wind in the pines and heard the chipper of nesting birds… he felt his mind begin to settle. Any moment things would be back to normal…

"Are you calm yet?"

This time it was woman's voice and it made Naruto jump in surprise. He found himself hunched against the tree, frowning.

"And who are you?" he said almost mechanically, but before he could finish his sentence Kyuubi's booming voice echoed in his head.

"Do not speak to my host as if he is your own."

As if the demon fox had lit a match, voices from all recesses of Naruto's subconscious burst forth.

"If you haven't noticed—"

"—we're all in this predicament…"

The jumble of voices continued and Naruto began to feel a weight in his stomach, similar to when Kyuubi's chakra would begin to boil. All of the demons had flaring tempers and he was beginning to see an angry streak of yellow erupting from the fading seal on his stomach.

The arguing raged on.

The woman's voice chimed back in, "It was _you_ who put us in this situation, damn fox!"

"I have something to say—"

Naruto fell to his knees as the arguing continued and he held his head tightly against the pounding headache they were beginning to cause. He could feel Kyuubi's temper boiling from within him and he was surprised when the demon commanded all of the voices to be quiet.

"Silence!"

"—say we should all just get drunk and—"

"Shukaku."

Kyuubi's voice was so low and intimidating that the one-tailed beast immediately hushed. Naruto breathed in a sigh of relief as the chakra began to settle back into his skin and he silently thanked his fox counterpart.

"Naruto, come here."

Kyuubi's voice was thick and commanding and Naruto frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking abou—"

Naruto blinked and when he opened his eyes he was seated before the great sealing gates inside his mind. He frowned and looked annoyed, especially when Kyuubi was glaring down at him rather passively. Before Naruto felt the need to ask any questions, the nine-tailed demon spoke.

"Nothing will come from foolish arguing," he said and followed his comment by frowning, "as much as it pains me to say it, our freedom relies on this boy."

Naruto took a moment to examine the inside of the cage, eyeing its captives with curiosity. It was easier for him to believe they existed when they were standing directly in front of him, each completely different from the other. They were all staring at him with bored expressions and some with distaste.

"I refuse to depend on a human."

It was a masculine voice that Naruto didn't recognize and he matched it with a towering husky canine seated placidly to his left. He was glaring at him with a certain killing intent and Naruto couldn't help but force down a swallow.

"Houkou."

Kyuubi's voice was terse and the tiger seemed to shrug in distaste. After a moment, Naruto felt the boiling sensation in the small room dwindle and he breathed in deeply before speaking.

"Someone explain to me what's going on," he demanded confidently.

After a fluid motion Kyuubi came forth, his massive body pressed against the confines of the gigantic cage. His eyes were low, and from behind him, another demon hissed.

"He has no right to know our secrets," it said, and the demon fox closed its eyes, obviously in deep thought.

Naruto waited patiently, more used to the body language of the nine-tailed demon than the others seemed to be. He was contemplating many things, and Naruto felt that. For once, the Kyuubi had him placed as a priority.

"No, he must know. He can't protect us without certain knowledge."

There was an uncomfortable rush of whispers and Naruto felt the claustrophobic feeling strike again. It was obvious the other demons had no intention of trusting him and in all honesty, he held the same regard for them. Even though he was inside his subconscious, he could feel the weight of their power depleting whatever chakra he had—making his head begin to pound. The arguing wasn't helping any, either.

"I think we should listen to the fox, maaan…" a wispy creature said slowly, and he sifted like a ghost to the front of the cage, his wide eyes making Naruto question his health.

From beside him, Houkou the dog-demon snorted.

"You would."

Kyuubi let out an impatient sigh and the room fell to silence once again. Naruto stood up from the floor and walked closer to the cage, examining the collection of beings inside. They were all so big, and Naruto began to feel increasingly small. His inner-self was an ant in comparison and he began to feel a wave of anxiety overcome him. Trying to hold back a stutter, he turned to Kyuubi.

"That demon said that you were all convicts. Is that true?"

Kyuubi lowered himself to Naruto's level and spoke harshly, his baritone voice filling the small area like a gust of wind.

"We escaped from the demon realm long ago. It was your realm we ended up in—hiding each century in a new human body… making it harder for Maou to locate us."

"Until you humans discovered our powers—trying to draw us out all the time. It's no wonder she found us so easily."

A cat-like demon edged forward, her eyes curved upward in irritation. From beside her, the phantom-like demon waved a wispy hand.

"Let's all just caaaaaaaalm down…" his voice was disconnected, like he was on drugs.

After a moment, another voice exploded from the rear of the caged area.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's found us again. We'll just have to make a strategical plan to get away from her—before this little kid's chakra is exhausted."

Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the demon as a shark and he took in the figure's harsh features. They reminded him of a military leader's, as did his voice.

'Chakra exhaustion? Naruto contemplated the thought, recalling how he had heard the term used before. He had always had an abundance though, minus the time when he had managed to summon Gamabunta with Jiraiya's assistance. From in front of him, the Kyuubi spoke.

"With all of our power weighing against your chakra… I would approximate three months before your chakra gives out."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in slight confusion and the shark demon waved a hand in a salutary manner.

"Don't worry, cadet. You won't die on my watch."

Naruto's eyes widened and he gripped a steel bar of the cage.

"You're saying I have three months to live!?"

Kyuubi's eyes went downcast and the canine husky growled, "It's not gonna happen, pipsqueak. If you die, we die. And I ain't dyin' anytime soon."

Naruto felt strangely comforted; even though it was apparent none of the demons had a serious liking for him. He stepped backwards from the cage and glanced through it, wondering just what kind of new powers were trapped inside of him. Kyuubi seemed to notice his skepticism and so he stepped backwards, leaving room for introductions.

The ghostlike figure spoke first, his near-transparent hand floating outside of the bars towards Naruto in an effort to shake. Naruto reached towards him subjectively, a little confused when his own hand went right through the creature's. He glared up in question, surprised when the demon chuckled—a long airy chuckle that seemed slightly lethargic.

"I'm Soukou, maaaaan. The four-tailed—"

"Hippy?" The dog offered, his tone more than irritated. The sifting figure didn't have a chance to respond before he continued, "five-tailed Houkou. Word of advice, kiddo—I despise humans, so don't push your luck."

Naruto nodded firmly and followed the trail of demons to the cat-like figure who licked her lips somewhat seductively.

"Nekomata—two tails. And I," she said, glaring rather challengingly at the dog-demon, "_love_ humans."

From behind her the shark came forward, his body a bulky shade of blue and gray. He had narrow eyes and a tough exterior.

"Sergeant General Iso, three-tailed demon beast."

His eyes held a mysterious glint one that reminded Naruto of Ibiki Morino. Naruto nodded slowly, taking them in. Kyuubi growled a little towards the demons in the back, all of which came forward reluctantly afterwards.

The first Naruto recognized right away.

"Shukaku," he said softly, and the demon let out a high pitched squeal in return.

"Eh? You're the little kid from before…" The tanuki-demon's mouth curled upwards in a sidelong smirk and the creature laughed. After a dark scowl from Kyuubi the tanuki's chuckles were quieted.

Naruto turned towards the two remaining demons, one that resembled a weasel and the other that seemed like a small badger. The weasel spoke first.

"Raijuu. I bear six tails."

From beside him, the badger grinned.

"Long and far off has it been to see a human so young and mature. I have traveled the widest canyons and deepest jungles in search—"

"His name is Kaku and he has seven tails," Houkou said quickly, cutting off the small creature's long-winded speech.

From the back of the mental cellar a hiss emerged, causing Naruto to glance back quickly towards the creature he hadn't noticed. It was a giant snake with eight heads and eight tails and dangerous features.

"I am the eight tailed demon Hachimata. I am no ally of yours." Naruto eyed the demon preemptively and Kyuubi came forth and let out a deep breath.

"That is all. There are nine of us."

Naruto nodded and frowned, hoping he could remember all of the names. He then turned to Kyuubi and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't understand what I'm supposed to do."

The fox demon growled and looked up, seemingly away from the crowd of beasts.

"First get us to a town. You need to eat and we all have much to discuss."

Naruto was about to answer when his body surged again and he found himself looking through his own physical eyes at the forest landscape around him.

He cursed and narrowed his eyes, "Don't _do_ that!"

He waited for an inner response but when none came, he merely frowned and stood up, more anxious to find a pair of clothes than frolic into the heart of a ninja metropolis. He bit his lip. There was a sound.

It wasn't far off, but he could hear it. A horse was making a slow gallop his way, the gentle rumbling of a passenger paired with it. He knelt low to the ground and crept forward under the brush looking for the signs of a road all while focusing on the clickety-clacks that were building into a crescendo.

"The Farming Nation," he said quietly, as the rider came into view. He found the road quickly, its gravel surface flattened due to frequent traffic. The horse was riding steadily ahead, with a small cart trailing it.

Naruto felt a wave of relief pass through him. Not only did a cart mean a city was near, it also meant trade. Which, as he glanced down at himself, meant a nice pair of pants and jacket.

As the Clydesdale came almost parallel to Naruto, the blond stuck his head out of the hedge and through out a hand.

"Hello!"

Naruto immediately decided that his form of introduction wasn't the best choice as the horse threw itself into the air, shrieking out of surprise and fear. The rider, a skinny little man with a pale complexion, let out a whimpering yell in an attempt to tame the animal, but not before he was tossed from the saddle and to Naruto's side.

Naruto watched as the horse dodged off with the cart and he stood up quickly, not wanting to lose his only chance at not being stark naked. He took off running down the gravel road, his arms stretched forward desperately.

"There's no reason to be afraid of me!" he cried to the animal and from behind him, he heard the man.

"Thief! There's no way I'm letting you steal my merchandise!"

Naruto peered backwards, surprised that the older man was keeping up with his pace. He looked winded and angry, and almost completely unfazed that a naked blond teenager was running a marathon before him. Naruto bit his lips and pulled his hands together, not willing to lose this race to an old vendor.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He felt the familiar weight of chakra surge through him and he grinned cockily, his inner self laughing wildly. He could see his clone beginning to form in front of him in a cloud of clone-smoke.

'_Take that, old man!'_

But he spoke too soon as the familiar energy puffed out like a light in his palms. The clone he had created fell limp to the ground before him, its eyes flat and its figure distorted. He slowed to stare down at it, temporarily forgetting his high speed chase as he took in the horrific condition of the Naruto look-alike. He frowned.

He hadn't made one that bad since… since before he learned the bunshin technique. He stopped in front of it and let out a frustrated grunt before kicking the bunshin into a puff of nonexistence.

"You could have told me I was weaker, you damn fox!"

He waved his arms in the air before turning wildly to the old man who was staring at him from a mere ten feet away. The look on his face was positively disturbed and Naruto wondered if he had ever seen ninjutsu before. Apparently not, because the man glanced back and forth between where the horrid clone once lay and back to Naruto, his eyes wide and his mouth trembling.

"Uh…" Naruto wasn't sure how to explain himself. For someone not used to ninja, he probably looked like a lunatic.

"D-Don't come near me!" The man stumbled backwards onto his rear and clawed his way away from Naruto, who felt an overwhelming surge of guilt overtake him. He stepped forward and extended a hand, trying not to look as embarrassed as he felt.

"Um, I'm sorry—"

"Just take it—just leave me alone!"

The man leapt into a running dodge before Naruto could even reach him, screaming about crazy naked forest men. Naruto took a deep breath as the man disappeared down the other side of the road and turned to where the horse had disappeared to, pleasantly surprised to see that it had stopped only a mile down the way.

He jogged after it, wondering why the demons within him had been so quiet. He didn't think much of it after he reached the cart though, sad to realize that the only clothing items inside were far too large for his thin frame. He frowned.

'_Alright, Uzumaki. Time to be creative.'_

He dressed himself quickly, and released the horse from its bounds, hoping it would find its way to a nearby village. Moments later his stomach growled and he cursed. It never occurred to him to ride the horse.

* * *

A/n-- I said it would be funny, _riiight?_

Okay, so I thank Allys for her amazing researching capabilities for the demon names. As the story progresses the characters should become a little more recognizeable; it'll just take a few more chapters to get to know everyone.

I wish I had more to say! I hope you all enjoyed it.

Next chapter will feature Sakura retrieving Sasuke and more of Naruto's antics.

Luv to you all!


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